Press-button panel arrangement for printed circuit card

ABSTRACT

Press-button panel intended to set up a temporary galvanic connection between two terminals existing on a printed circuit card such as is found more particularly in telephone equipment, comprising a battery of press-buttons in a matrix configuration assembled separately and installed in a single part as a superstructure above the card.

United States Patent 11 1 Schneider [4 Oct. 29, 1974 [54] PRESS- BUTTONPANEL ARRANGEMENT 3,227,820 1/1966 Sorenson 200/5 A FOR PRINTED CIRCUITD 3,377,452 4/1968 Bock 200/167 A 3,499,515 3/1970 Mikrut.... 200/159 RInventor: Gilbert Schneider, Strasbourg, 3,678,424 7/1972 lwashima317/112 France 3,731,014 5/1973 Brady 200/5 A [73] Assignee: LaTelephonie lndustrielle et Commerciale Telic Prtmary Exammer-Robert K.Schaefer Strasbourg'Memau France Assistant Examiner-Gerald P. Tolin [22]Filed: Sept. 7, 1973 Attorney, Agent, or FirmCraig & Antonelli [21]Appl. No: 395,192

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data [5 7] ABSTRACT Sept. 7, 1972France 72.31790 Press-button panel intended to set up a temporary gal-[52] US. Cl. 200/5 A, 317/112, 200/292 vanic connection between twoterminals existing on a [51] Int. Cl. H0lh 3/12 printed circuit cardsuch as is found more particularly [58] Field of Search 317/101 CC, 112; 200/1 A, in telephone equipment, comprising a battery of press-200/1 R, 5 A, 5 D, 159 R, 159 A, 160, 167 buttons in a matrixconfiguration assembled separately A, DIG. 25, 166 PC and installed in asingle part as a superstructure above the card. [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1960 Scheffer 200/1 R The invention comes withinthe branch of connection elements in the form of press-buttons intendedfor setting up a temporary galvanic connection between two terminalsexisting on a printed circuit card such as is found more particularly intelephonic equipment sets. It concerns a battery of press-buttons in amatrix configuration assembled separately and installed in a singlepiece as a superstructure above the card. It is applied to selectionequipment, control equipment, etc., in telephone switchboards, in remotecontrol equipment, etc.

A press-button panel formed by combining several rows of press-buttons,each of which comprises at least one part in the form of a beam providedwith holes alined for the rods of the press-buttons to pass throughthem, each equipped beam being installed parallel above a printedcircuit card having terminals on which a contact part forming the lowerend of each pressbutton may bear, is known through French Pat. No.6,942,786 Press-Button Control Panel" by the applicant.

A press-button panel having a matrix configuration according to thepresent invention is constituted by the assembling of several parallelbeams equipped individually with several press-buttons, this assemblingbeing held by two molded parts recessing the ends of the said beams andhaving appendixes enabling the fixing of the assembly thus constitutedon the printed circuit card by recessing without use of any tool.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, among which:

FIG. 1 is a partly cutaway plan view of a printed circuit card equippedwith a press-button panel according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view on a larger scale of a part of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a detail of FIG. 2 on a larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of apart of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a press-button;

FIG. 6 is a cutaway view of a press-button installed in the restposition; and

FIG. 7 is a partly cutaway view of a press-button in the work position.

FIG. I is a partly cutaway plan view of a printed circuit card 1 havinga generally rectangular shape, comprising, on each small side, bevelshoulders which are three in number in the example according to FIG. 1,one of which is referenced 2.

The framework of a beam made of a molded substance which may accommodatepress-buttons, ending, at each end in a double clipping device 4, 4' andin a positioning lug 5 may be seen at 3. The rod of a pressbutton maypass through a through hole in the beam 6. A press-button head, amongmany others, is shown at 7.

The press-button panel according to FIG. 1 comprises two further beambearing press-buttons, parallel to the beam 3, but they are not shown inFIG. 1, for they have been cut away in order to show the through holessuch as 8 of the press-button rods in the card, as well as a connectioncommon to all the press-buttons of a row such as 9 and individualcontacts such as 10.

The press-button panel also comprises, as accessory elements. severalrows of indicator lamp holders. One of these is referenced 11. Afterassembling, the indicator lamps are covered with a translucid cap suchas 12.

Reference numeral 20 is a molded end assembling part in the shape of arib in the assembled position and 20 is a similar part in the turneddown position.

The part 20 shown in a partly cutaway view, comprises a reinforcingpiece 21, end pieces such as 23 comprising a through hole 23' for apositioning lug such as 5, as well as a double clip 24, 24, cooperating,in the assembled state, with a double clipping device such as 4, 4'.Numerals 22 and 22 are molded hooks for complementary fixing.

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 the rib 20 comprises end pieces such as 23 for passing abeam positioning lug such as 5. The rib 20 also comprises fixing tabssuch as 25 having a connection shoulder 26, two notches 27, 27' and alocking lobe 28.

The lamp holder 11 bears a lamp 13. The cap 12 covering a row of lampsis held in place by a protuberance 14 which is recessed in a hollowedout part 29 of the rib 20.

The resiliency of the molding substance enables beams such as 3 bearingthe press-buttons to be recessed in the ribs such as 20 through theclipping devices and clips and then the ribs such as 20 to be recessedin the card 1 through the tabs such as 25 and the bevel shoulders suchas 2.

In FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the references common to the preceding figureshave the same signification as in the preceding figures.

FIG. 5 shows a press-button comprising a head 30 and a mechanism 40. Thehead 30 comprises a cap 31 whose top part is closed by a transparent capcover 32 which is clamped over a reference plate 33. The cap 31 bearsprotuberances 34, 34' projecting inwards.

The mechanism 40 comprises on the one hand a molded part comprising asocket 41, a guide part 42, a cylindrical rod 43, a rod end 44 having adiameter smaller than that of the rod 43, an end boss 45. The socket 41has two holes 46, 46 in which the protuberances 34, 34' of the cap 31are recessed on installing.

The mechanism 40 comprises, moreover, a first spiral spring 47 placedround the rod 43, a second spiral spring 48 placed round the rod end 44,a metallic cup drilled with a central hole 49, a slightly truncated coneshaped fixing part 50 provided with a hole 51 and having a rim 52. Apart of the mechanism 40 is housed in an alveolus 15 formed in the beam3, open towards the top, having a bottom 16 drilled with a hole 6.

FIG. 6 In the assembled state, at rest, the spring 47 holds the guidepart 42 in place in the top part of the alveolus 15. The metallic cup 49is held pressed against the rim 52 of the part 50 by the spring 48compressed between the bottom of the beam 3 and the metallic cup 49subsequent to the high position of the mechanism.

FIG. 7 Under the effect of a pressure applied to the head 30 in thedirection of an arrow P, the guide part 42 goes down into the alveolus15, the spring 47 is compressed. The rod 43 and the fixing part 50 arelowered, the spring 48 is unstretched, but only partly and retains acalibrated residual force sufficient for pressing the cup against theprojecting contacts 9 and 10. In that position, the cup has left the rim52.

It will be observed that the press-buttons according to the inventionmay be installed completely without the use of any tool.

What is claimed is:

l. Press-button panel having a matrix configuration, comprising aprinted circuit plate, a plurality of beamshaped parts mounted inparallel on said printed circuit plate, a plurality of push-buttonassemblies mounted in each beam-shaped part, first and second resilientmeans in the form of elongated ribs, securing all of the ends of saidbeam-shaped parts on one side to one another and securing all the endsof the beam-shaped parts on the opposite side to one another,respectively, said ribs including projection means engaging peripheralnotches on the said printed circuit plate securing said ribs to saidprinted circuit plate and a plurality of clips, said beam-shaped partsbeing provided with clipping devices engaged by said clips to securesaid ribs to said beam-shaped parts.

2. Press-button panel according to claim 1, characterized in that thesaid ribs are provided with a plurality of positioning holes, andfurther including positioning lugs carried by the ends of each beam andengaging in said positioning holes.

3. Press-button panel according to claim 1, characterized in that thesaid projection means comprises tabs made of a molded substance havingtwo notches and a locking lobe.

4. Press-button panel according to claim Lcharacterized in that saidpress-button assemblies comprise a control mechanism formed essentiallyby a rod extended by a rod end having a diameter less than that of thesaid rod and ending in an end boss on which is clamped a slightlytruncated cone shaped fixing part provided with a rim on which ametallic cup acting as a mobile contact between two fixed contacts maybear.

5. Press-button panel according to claim 1, further including aplurality of indicators disposed on said printed circuit plate in atleast one row adjacent a beam-shaped part, a cover disposed over saidrow of indicators, and means on said cover effecting engage ment of saidcover to said elongated ribs.

6. Press-button panel according to claim 5, characterized in that saidpress-button assemblies comprise a control mechanism formed essentiallyby a rod extended by a rod end having a diameter less than that of thesaid rod and ending in an end boss on which is clamped a slightlytruncated cone shaped fixing part provided with a rim on which ametallic cup acting as a mobile contact between two fixed contacts maybear.

part.

1. Press-button panel having a matrix configuration, comprising aprinted circuit plate, a plurality of beam-shaped parts mounted inparallel on said printed circuit plate, a plurality of pushbuttonassemblies mounted in each beam-shaped part, first and second resilientmeans in the form of elongated ribs, securing all of The ends of saidbeam-shaped parts on one side to one another and securing all the endsof the beam-shaped parts on the opposite side to one another,respectively, said ribs including projection means engaging peripheralnotches on the said printed circuit plate securing said ribs to saidprinted circuit plate and a plurality of clips, said beam-shaped partsbeing provided with clipping devices engaged by said clips to securesaid ribs to said beam-shaped parts.
 2. Press-button panel according toclaim 1, characterized in that the said ribs are provided with aplurality of positioning holes, and further including positioning lugscarried by the ends of each beam and engaging in said positioning holes.3. Press-button panel according to claim 1, characterized in that thesaid projection means comprises tabs made of a molded substance havingtwo notches and a locking lobe.
 4. Press-button panel according to claim1, characterized in that said press-button assemblies comprise a controlmechanism formed essentially by a rod extended by a rod end having adiameter less than that of the said rod and ending in an end boss onwhich is clamped a slightly truncated cone shaped fixing part providedwith a rim on which a metallic cup acting as a mobile contact betweentwo fixed contacts may bear.
 5. Press-button panel according to claim 1,further including a plurality of indicators disposed on said printedcircuit plate in at least one row adjacent a beam-shaped part, a coverdisposed over said row of indicators, and means on said cover effectingengagement of said cover to said elongated ribs.
 6. Press-button panelaccording to claim 5, characterized in that said press-button assembliescomprise a control mechanism formed essentially by a rod extended by arod end having a diameter less than that of the said rod and ending inan end boss on which is clamped a slightly truncated cone shaped fixingpart provided with a rim on which a metallic cup acting as a mobilecontact between two fixed contacts may bear.
 7. Press-button panelaccording to claim 6, wherein said press-button assemblies furthercomprise spring means engaging said beam-shaped part for biasing saidrod into a neutral position within said beam-shaped part.